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At the time Keisha said Amelle's no-show was down to a close friend of hers being involved in a car crash.

Going nowhere: Amelle was initially believed to be the one leaving the band to work on a solo career but she's staying put

Distraught: Axed Sugababe Keisha on Monday at Heathrow Airport

With rumours of a bust-up between Amelle and Keisha, it had seemed that Amelle was on her way out of the band.

Instead when Jade goes into the recording studio to record vocals for the upcoming album Sweet 7, it will be Keisha's voice the guys in the studio will be erasing.

According
to reports in The Sun today, Heidi wanted a less headstrong character in the band and the management plumped for former Eurovision singer Jade after a week of hasty auditions.

A source told the newspaper: 'Keisha clashed with Amelle since she
joined.

'Heidi did not want to be in a position where a big bust-up
might arise while they're promoting their material Stateside.

'So she persuaded management a less headstrong character would be better suited to the group.'

Speaking
of Keisha's breakdown on Monday night, a source at the London Fashion
Week party, in New Oxford Street, said: 'Michelle Williams [of
Destiny’s Child] was the first to share words of encouragement.

Summer style: Jade looked as if she was enjoying the States as she went shopping at The Grove in Los Angeles yesterday

'But it all got too much for Keisha, who started to cry in the middle of the party and Oritse from JLS had to comfort her.

'It was heartbreaking. She felt devastated about what happened and
thinks everyone thinks she’s a b***h when she did everything she could
to make it work between her and Heidi and Amelle.'

Keisha’s replacement, 21-year-old Jade Ewen, was poached
from her own record label a week ago, despite releasing her single My
Man on Monday.

Pushing the right buttons: Jade's performance in the desert wasn't too dusty

A source said: 'Jade was approached by the Sugababes’ record label
Island last week and pretty much bundled onto a plane to LA on the same
day, where they were shooting the next video.'

Jade represented the UK in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest,
singing My Time. The source added: 'Her profile’s pretty big since
Eurovision, but she felt she couldn’t say no.

Grabbing her opportunity: Jade shows no signs of letting the controversy affect her as she settles into the job

Almost ready for my close-up: The former UK Eurovision singer fixes her hair

Thirsty work: Jade sips from a water bottle during a break in the desert heat

'Her own record label didn’t even know she had gone, so were getting panicky.'

Posting a message on Twitter, Buchanan, who has been in the band for
11 years, said: 'Although it was not my choice to leave, it's time to
enter a new chapter in my life.'

She stressed that she had
'nothing but positive things to say about the girls' adding: 'I would
like to state that there were no arguments, bullying or anything of the
sort that lead to this.'

But she also said: 'Sometimes a break down in communication and lack of trust can result in many different things.

'I would also like to point out that I have always supported the girls and they have also supported me.'

Keisha will remain with the record company Island Records to pursue her solo career, a spokesman for the band confirmed.

Meanwhile former bandmate Mutya Buena told GMTV this morning that she would love to reform the original Sugababes line-up.

Speaking to GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly, Mutya said that performing again
with Siobhan Donaghy and Keisha Buchanan would be ‘amazing’, and stated
that the current Sugababes – now consisting entirely of substitutes –
are not really the Sugababes anymore.

Missing member: Heidi and Keisha perform as a
duo two weeks ago after Amelle failed to turn up - the first hint of a possible break in the ranks

'Personally, I just don’t think the Sugababes is the Sugababes anymore,' said Mutya.

'I mean, it would be different if Keisha had stayed in it and someone else had gone – then it would be the Sugababes. But wow, I suppose now there’s no original Sugababes we should just all reform again.'

She continued: 'Obviously the brand name of Sugababes will always carry on. But to say like there’s no original in the Sugababes, it just kind of puts it down a bit.'

And on the possibility of reforming with Siobhan and Keisha, Mutya said: 'Well you know, we’re all grown up. I haven’t been with the Sugababes for so long, and you know, I’ve had my years of growing up and learning about what I want in life and getting to look after my daughter. So hooking up with the rest of the girls – I think that could be an amazing idea, definitely.’

Asked if Keisha might have quit the band because of bullying allegations, Mutya replied: 'No, to tell you the truth – I heard there were rumours about Keisha being a bully, but that’s all lies. I mean, the reasons why people had left is not because of bullying.

'I think everyone’s got their own opinion about things, but they’re all grown women – no one’s going to allow another woman to – like I would never let another person bully me. So to the whole bullying subject – I think it’s all rubbish.'

The sweet and sour journey of the Sugababes

The Sugababes formed in 1998 with members Keisha Buchanan, Siobhan Donaghy and Mutya Buena. They were just 16 when their debut single, Overload, hit the top 10.

Donaghy was the first to walk from the band in 2001. They were in Australia doing promotional work. But she quit in the middle of the tour.

Following Donaghy's departure the band were dropped by their record label but found a new deal with Island Records.

Changing line-ups: Sugababes MK II with Mutya Buena in
2005 (left) and original trio with Siobhan Donaghy in 2001
(right)

Heidi Range, who was in the original Atomic Kitten line-up, was chosen as the replacement. Their first single with her was the Gary Numan-sampling number one hit Freak Like Me.

The second incarnation of the Sugababes was the most successful, racking up hits including Stronger and Push The Button.

Mutya gave birth to a baby girl, Tahilia, in March 2005. Despite recording a new album with her bandmates she decided to quit in December, saying the commitment the band needed 'would become compromised by me'.

The final shot: Keisha poses with the band for the last time to promote their single Get Sexy - a collaboration with Jay-Z and a supposed attempt to break America

The day after she quit, the second line-up change was revealed with Hampshire-born Amelle Berrabah being announced as Mutya's successor.

In 2007 the Sugababes teamed up with chart rivals Girls Aloud to release a cover of Run DMC and Aerosmith's Walk This Way for Comic Relief. It was one of two number ones they scored after Amelle joined.

On Monday, Keisha's exit from the band was announced on the band's website, with the UK Eurovision contestant Jade Ewen announced as her replacement. It means there are no remaining Sugababes from the original line-up.

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Sugababes shoot raunchy video in LA with new member Jade Ewen... a day after Keisha was forced out of band